9 Crimes
by hOtlilmofo
Summary: Emma dated Stu and left him for John Cena. When she regrets it, she tries to convince Stu to take her back. But will he? And if he does, will she end her relationship with Cena? Or will both men end up in a love triangle that could destroy them all?
1. Chapter 1

9 Crimes

Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I only own Emma. This whole thing never happened…well, as far as I know it never happened…

* * *

Emma Capelli was sitting up in the hotel room bed, her eyes ever-so-often coming to rest on the sleeping form next to her. This wasn't how this whole situation was supposed to play out. She had really screwed up big time, and she was well aware of it. The entire situation was something that could have been out of "The Young and the Restless" or "Days of Our Lives". This wasn't supposed to be something that happened in real life. This kind of thing was just too much for any normal person to handle, but Emma was trying her absolute hardest not to lose her sanity.

Leaving Stu Bennett for John Cena was the dumbest decision she had ever made. Initially, she had tried to pin the blame for the whole debacle on the two men involved, but Emma knew damn well that she was the one that was to blame for everything that had happened.

Dating Stu on his rise to the top wasn't easy. When he became the leader of the Nexus, it just made an already rough situation that much worse. He had been consumed with the character he portrayed, the ruthless and cruel Wade Barrett. Emma had simply become an afterthought. The two had fought with each other constantly. Things were just free falling in the worst way.

Emma was a valet for John Morrison. The two were pretty good friends, and she was able to confide in him for a while. Once Melina returned to the WWE and he resumed his relationship with her, the last thing Emma wanted to do was bring him down with her relationship problems. And things had just been getting worse with each passing day.

When John Cena had befriended her, she mistook for admiration for him as a person, for actually being in love with him. The two had a fairly passionate affair that had lasted for about three and a half months, before Emma finally ended the relationship with her boyfriend of two years.

Immediately after the break up had happened, and Emma had told Stu the truth about what was really going on with John, she and John became an official couple. At first, things between the two of them were absolutely perfect. She couldn't have been happier with the way things turned out.

But for the past month or so, she found herself truly missing Stu. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with John. He was an absolutely wonderful boyfriend and such an incredible person. But he wasn't Stu, and it was Stu that she really wanted to be with. There was something about him that just clicked with her perfectly. She loved him and missed him more than she ever thought she would.

With another glance at John, Emma slowly, carefully got up out of bed, making sure she didn't wake him up. She quietly grabbed her keycard off of the night table. She tiptoed out of the room, practically holding her breath, to eliminate any unnecessary noise that might disturb John's sleep. She made her way out of the room. Emma quickly walked down the long hallway. She found the door, four doors to the left of the room she had been sharing with her current boyfriend, to the room where her ex-boyfriend was staying. This was something she needed to do for her own sanity.

And considering that it was two-thirty in the morning, and he was rooming with Heath, who was notorious for being a sound sleeper and loud snorer. Emma knew that Stu would still be up.

She took a deep breath, as she softly knocked on the door, not loud enough to wake anyone up had he been sleeping, but so if someone was awake, he would most definitely hear it. She immediately looked down at the floor and began fidgeting with the hem of her white form-fitting, v-necked t-shirt. Her black cotton short shorts had barely covered her rear-end. Had she been expecting to actually do this, Emma would have opted to wear something a bit more modest.

She waited a few moments, half-hoping Stu would answer, half-hoping he was asleep and wouldn't answer. She was terribly nervous about how this would work. The sound of the door opening caused her heart to beat triple-time in her chest. Her eyes immediately darted up to meet Stu's eyes. He was wide awake, as she had expected he would be. She knew his insomnia would benefit her at some point.

"Emma?" he asked, confused as to why his unfaithful ex-girlfriend was standing in front of him at this hour, in the doorway to his hotel room. They obviously hadn't ended on the best of terms, seeing as she had been cheating on him.

"Hi," she softly spoke.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" he asked, anger laced in each of his words.

She nervously chewed on her bottom lip. "Do you think we can talk?" she asked, her voice meek.

"Why?" his voice demanded more than asked.

"Please, Stu?" she begged him.

He rolled his eyes. "I have nothing to say to you," he stubbornly replied, crossing his arms over his broad, bare chest.

"Then, can you at least listen to what I have to say?"

"Why?" he demanded again. Emma's eyes were brimming with as of yet uncried tears. It took all she had to not burst out into hysterics. He breathed heavily, and she knew he was about to give into her request. He hated seeing her cry. It was something he never could handle. Stu stood back from the door, giving her space to come into the room. "Come in. Heath's asleep and snoring, so he probably wouldn't hear us anyway, but we can talk in the loo, I guess," he told her. She quickly walked inside the room, as Stu closed the door behind her, slowly shaking his head.

Emma's eyes briefly passed over the sleeping Bison, as Stu had nicknamed Heath, in the bed next to Stu's clearly unused bed. The pair made their way into the decently-sized bathroom. Stu reached his hand against the wall and turned the lights on, before shutting the door, as the two were inside.

They had avoided looking into each other's eyes, at first, until he finally spoke. "So, what's the issue that's just so important you needed to tell me now?" he asked, his voice slightly harsh.

"I um…I think that…" Emma finally looked up and locked eyes with his. "I made a mistake, Stu," she finally admitted.

Stu gave her a look that was borderline pissed off with what she just said. "Excuse me?" he asked, not believing what he was hearing come out of her mouth.

Her eyes immediately went back down to the floor, focusing on the pattern the ceramic tiles created. "Stu, I fucked up," she told him again.

"Oh? And how did you do that?" he asked, once again crossing his arms, which caused his muscles to flex slightly.

"I shouldn't have left you for John," she softly said.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Emma? Honestly? Are you out of your God-damned mind?" he asked her.

"I know. I know you must hate me for what I did to you, but I was wrong, and I realize that now. I just…I just wanted to apologize for what happened…"

"And…?"

She shrugged. "I dunno."

"How the hell am I supposed to forgive you for what you did? You cheated on me with John Cena. After two fucking years together, that's what I get from you? That's how you truly feel about me?"

Emma shook her head adamantly. "No…"

"Bull-fucking-shit. If you really cared, you would've spoken to me about what was going on in our relationship. You wouldn't have started shagging him behind my back. And how in the bloody hell do you expect me to let that go? I get it, I'm not exactly the most emotional guy or anything like that, but you hurt me," he shot, his voice not getting too loud, though he was clearly agitated by what was going on before him.

Finally, the tears began slowly falling out of her eyes and down her flushed cheeks. "I'm sorry, Stu. What I did was really fucked up. I know that. And I don't blame you if you can't forgive me. But I really am sorry."

Stu rolled his eyes. "You're unbelievable," he growled, turning away from her, placing his hands on his hips.

Emma sniffled. "We were fighting all of the time. You acted like I didn't matter to you anymore. And it was like…I just…I was hurting really badly. And John and I had become friends. And I thought that I was in love with him, but I wasn't. I was just confused, and I made a mistake," she tried explaining, through her tears.

"I know I wasn't always the best boyfriend in the world, but you cheated on me with John, and then, you left me to be with him. How did you think that would make me feel?" he asked her.

"I know, Stu."

"No, you don't know."

Emma took a couple of steps toward him. She gently placed her hands on his arms. "I'm sorry, Stu," she whispered.

He shook his head. "You don't understand how much you hurt me, Em," he said, his voice losing some of its hostility. His voice now sounded more hurt and defeated than anything else.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**"Stu, I can't do this anymore," Emma whispered.**_

_**He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, almost sounding annoyed.**_

_**"I mean…this relationship…I can't do it anymore," she explained.**_

_**"What?" He felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. "How…I…Are you seriously breaking up with me right now?"**_

_**She slowly nodded her head. "Yes."**_

_**"Why?"**_

_**"We've been fighting all of the time, Stu, and I just can't deal with it. We don't get along. We just aren't right for each other anymore."**_

_**Stu shook his head, knowing full well he wasn't getting the true story of what was going on. "What the hell is going on, Emma? Tell me the truth. It's not the fighting. We always fight and make up. And it's always worked out really well for us. You're leaving something important out."**_

_**"No, I'm not."**_

_**"After two years, I know when you're lying to me," he pointed out. "Please, just be honest with me."**_

_**Emma breathed loudly, sitting on the couch across from him in their shared hotel room, her head in her hands. "I don't want to get into this," she told him.**_

_**"Well, too bad. We are getting into it. Speak up and tell me what's really going on," he insisted.**_

_**"Fine, just please don't get mad at me," she requested.**_

_**"Oh dear Lord. What did you do?" Stu asked, his voice sounding both nervous and angry.**_

_**"I'm seeing someone else," Emma admitted, flinching slightly, knowing that he was about to flip his lid.**_

_**"Are you bloody kidding me? You've been screwing around behind my back?" he practically yelled, standing up and resting his palms flat against the wall, his body hunched over slightly, as her confession sunk in.**_

_**Emma had ben chewing on her bottom lip, her nervous habit. "Stu, I-"**_

_**"Shut the hell up!" he yelled, violently whipping his body around and facing her. "How the hell could you do this to me? We've had our share of problems, I'll give you that, but how could you do this to me?"**_

_**"It just happened…"**_

_**"Who is it? Is he someone I know?" he demanded of her. She nodded slowly. "Who is this wanker?" She shook her head. "You better open your mouth and tell me, Emma. Don't make me find out by my own methods," he practically threatened her.**_

_**"Please. It doesn't matter who it is," she begged him.**_

_**"Yes, it does," he insisted. "Fucking tell me, Emma!" She sighed, knowing that it was no use to not tell him because he would absolutely find out. "Fine. It's John."**_

_**"Hennigan?" he asked in disbelief.**_

_**"No…"**_

_**Stu thought for a moment. "Please don't tell me…Oh God, no. You're fucking Cena? Are you fucking kidding me?" he yelled at her. Stu was enraged. "I can't believe this. You're leaving me for John Cena? Is that what you're really doing?" he asked, in disbelief and complete rage.**_

_**She slowly nodded, feeling badly about what happened, only because it seemed that Stu was hurt by her actions. She didn't actually regret what she did.**_

_**Stu looked as if he was about to completely lose it. He turned around and slammed his clenched fist through the sheet rocked wall. Emma couldn't help but be grateful he had put the room in his name.**_

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

"I know I hurt you, Stu. And I'm sorry for that. I mistook my admiration for the person he is for actually being in love with him," she tried explaining.

"Oh yes because what happened is clearly a testament to what a great guy he is," he sarcastically shot at her. That helps me feel so much better about the entire situation," he growled, turning around to face her. "Why the fuck are you doing this to me?"

"Because I love you, Stu."

"You have a really fucked up way of showing it," he spoke, his eyes burning into hers. "I loved you more than life itself. I would have done anything for you! And you started fucking someone behind my back! And he's someone I work with! Do you know what a piece of shit that makes me look like? That my girlfriend is banging another guy that we all know? A guy that I have an on-screen feud with? And even more than that, you broke my fucking heart, Emma! Do you understand that?"

"I do understand that! And I'm sorry, Stu. I love you. I always have, and I always will! You're the love of my life. Yes, I fucked up big time. I thought I was doing something that would make me happy, but I realized I was wrong. I realized that I'm still in love with you. I never stopped. And I wasn't going to say anything, but…I just…I couldn't help it," she tearfully explained.

Stu shut his eyes and shok his head slowly. "You shouldn't have said anything about it," he reacted.

"I can't take it back now," she said, placing her hands on his bare abdomen. "If I could, I would, Stu." His eyes locked on hers.

"I've been in love with you since day one, when you were PJ's valet in FCW," he said softly, bringing a hand onto her face, gently cupping it. Stu used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry," he told her. "I just…Emma, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you-you know, get married, have babies, grow old together, retire in Tampa and just enjoy everything together," he explained, his voice cracking slightly.

"I still want that, Stu," she said, her tears continuing to fall.

"So do I, but…"

"But what?" she asked.

"How can you expect me to trust you? After everything that happened?"

Emma wrapped her arms around him. "Because you love me, and even if you try to deny it, you know that I love you."

"How do I know that?" he skeptically asked.

"Because you know its always been you. You're the only one for me," she told him. "You know that, Stu."

He slowly nodded. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know," she replied.

"Are you going to break up with John?" he asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"If you want to be with me, then, yes."

"Then, I'll do it," she replied.

"When?"

"I dunno. Can you just kiss me, please?" she asked.

"I shouldn't."

"Stu," she said, her voice a cross between begging him and seducing him.

He immediately smashed his lips against hers, lifting her up in his arms and holding her tightly, as their lips practically melted together. "I love you so much, Emma," he said, not parting his lips from hers.

"I love you, too," she reciprocated.

* * *

**A/N: In true Jamie fashion, I've started yet another story. This was actually supposed to be one of the short stories, but I got so into it, that I couldn't help myself. It's based on the song "9 Crimes" by Damien Rice, which is such an incredibly powerful song. I highly recommend it to everyone :o)**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this, so far because things are really going to pick up quite quickly in this one. I mean, let's keep these questions in mind: Is Emma really gonna break up with John? Is Stu really going to be so quick to trust her again? Does everything really end up working out, as planned? Hmmm…only time will tell.**

**Please review! I'm having a crappy night at work already, and you guys always know how to make me smile…plus, the more reviews I get, the quicker I am to work on updates. I know it's like bribery, but I guess I'm a jerk like that. Love you all XoXoXoXoXo**


	2. Chapter 2

**9 Crimes**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I only own Emma.**

* * *

Stu's arms were wrapped around Emma, holding her body against his. "I really don't know what to do with you," he groaned, his eyes still locked on her, though his gaze was genuinely affectionate. He was clearly frustrated and conflicted as to what he should do in this situation.

"Baby, you know what you want. You want the same thing that I want," Emma breathed, a smile playing on her lips.

"But you know that we can't happen, if you're still with him."

"We can. That situation will work itself out," she brushed it off.

"Well, until it does, nothing can happen between us," Stu insisted.

Emma ran her hands up and down the front of his body, her hands finally finding their way to the back of his neck, her fingertips playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Can you just not be stubborn right now, please?" she asked him, pouting. "I love you, Stu. I just want to be with you."

"And when you're single, we can work on making that happen again," he replied, not wanting to be the other man this time.

She frowned. "Stu," she whispered. "You just don't understand how much I've missed you. I miss having your arms around me…and your lips on me…I miss everything," she told him, biting on her lower lip.

Stu was starting to feel himself lose control. If it was anyone else, he would be able to stick to his guns and not be tempted to do anything. But with Emma, it was as if he didn't have any self-control anymore. He needed her more than anything, and he just couldn't deny her anymore. He leaned down and connected his lips to hers. She tightened her arms around his neck. Stu's hands slid down over her backside, grasping it tightly in his hands and pulling her up against him. Emma wrapped her legs around his waist, as she slid her tongue over his bottom lip, eliciting a moan from him.

Stu's lips parted slightly, allowing Emma's tongue to enter his mouth, using her tongue to massage his. He let out another small moan, as he walked over to the bathroom counter, sitting her down on the edge of it. His hands ran underneath the sides of her top. She shivered, as the feel of his skin on hers caused goosebumps to wash over her entire body. He smiled against her mouth, realizing exactly how her body reacted to him. He was happy to still have that kind of effect on her, even after everything that had transpired between them in the past year. His thumbs were gently caressing the flesh underneath her breasts, which cause her to thrust her body against his.

Considering all that Stu had on was a pair of sweatpants, it was quite clear that he was extremely turned on by what was going on. Emma sat up, pressing her body against his. She gripped his sides, as the two were consumed with the lust between them. Stu's hands were on her back, holding her body against his. He finally pulled her top up and over her head, tossing it to the side.

"I've missed this," she spoke against his mouth.

"Me, too," he agreed. She pressed her breasts against his torso. Stu pulled back from her and walked away, leaving a confused Emma to watch him. He grabbed one of the towels off of one of the shelves that was mounted against the wall. He spread it out on the light gray tiled floor. Stu picked Emma back up and gently laid her down on top of the fluffy white towel. He got up and shut the light off, making the only thing keeping the room from being pitch black was the soft glow of the moon filtering through the window.

Stu leaned his body over Emma's once again locking their lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He was grinning into the kiss, as her hands moved down his hard body, to the waistband of his black sweatpants. She ran her fingertips along the flesh underneath his pants, along his waist.

He sucked in a deep breath, as her touch was turning him on, beyond belief. Only she could do this to him.

"Baby," she moaned, as her hands impatiently began pushing his pants down. As soon as his rock hard length was free from the confines of his pants, her small hand wrapped itself around the massive shaft. His eyes rolled back into his head, as her touch unleashed an unbridled lust and urgency in him that only she could provoke.

Stu quickly pulled her shorts down and tossed them off of her. Emma wrapped her legs around his waist, as she guided him towards her drenched core. As soon as the head of his penis entered her, she cried out. Stu leaned over her body, pressing the palms of his hands on either side of her head, on the floor. He slowly began thrusting himself inside of her, going deeper with each thrust.

"Mmm. Stu, I love you so much," she groaned, as her heart was pounding in her chest, partially from the physical activity and partially from the emotional intensity of the situation at hand.

"I love you, too, Em," he reciprocated, dipping his head down enough to once against connect their lips.

Her hands cupped his face, holding it to hers. His thrusts became harder and faster, as both of their brains were clouded with lust.

"I need you so badly. You have no idea. I just…I need you, Em," he admitted, his voice practically pleading with her.

"I need you, too," she breathed, her voice sincere.

With a final thrust, Stu released inside of her, as she reached her climax, bringing her forehead up and into the crook of her neck and resting it there. They remained still for a few moments, their sweaty bodies practically glued together. Stu was laying on top of her and pressed his lips to her cheek.

"You're absolutely amazing, do you know that?" he whispered. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too, Stu," she softly said. "You know you're the only man I will ever want to be with again." Stu propped himself up on his forearm, as she rested a hand on his side. He leaned down and kissed her lips, as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Be with me again," he requested.

"I will," she softly replied.

"Do it now," he practically begged her.

"It will happen. Just give it some time," she told him, rubbing her hand up and down his side.

"Darling," he groaned.

She smiled. "Mmm I love you," she said.

"I know. I love you, too." He rolled off of her and laid next to her, holding his head up on his elbow. He placed his other hand on her bare stomach. "I just want us to be together again, Em."

"I know, baby," she whispered.

"You know how much I want to be with you," he spoke, his voice sounding sad and slightly hurt.

She brought her hand onto his cheek, gently caressing it with her thumb. "I know, and we'll be together," she spoke. "I have to go back to my own room."

Stu frowned. "Okay," he replied.

Emma pulled him in for another kiss. As the two pulled back, Stu stood up and offered his hand to Emma. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet. The two redressed themselves. Stu pulled her into his arms again, crashing his lips against hers. Emma wrapped her arms around him.

When he pulled back, the two smiled at each other. She opened the door to the bathroom, and the two exited the bathroom. Heath was still out like a light and snoring loudly. Emma softly giggled. Stu opened the front door. She quickly pecked his lips. "Goodnight," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Emma," he reciprocated, before she turned and walked down the hallway. She opened the door to the room she was sharing with John. She quietly shut the door and turned to sneak into the room.

"Where've you been?" John asked. Emma yelped in surprise, bringing a hand to her chest, turning to see him sitting up in the bed.

"Holy shit," she spoke.

"I didn't meant to scare you," he softly said. Emma walked over and climbed into the bed, laying down.

"I couldn't sleep. I found Melina in the hallway, and we hung out for a little while," she told him.

"Oh. How's Mel?"

"She's good."

John smiled and laid back down, wrapping an arm around her torso, pulling her body closer to his. He kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, baby," he affectionately spoke.

"'Night, John," she reciprocated.

Emma was in complete shock that John was still up. She was pretty impressed with herself for managing to come up with a quick story to alibi her whereabouts. She couldn't get completely comfortable, already missing being with Stu.

* * *

"Hey Mel," John greeted his girlfriend's close friend, in the hotel lobby, getting coffee for Emma and himself.

"Good morning, John," she reciprocated the greeting with a smile. "Where's Em? I feel like I haven't seen her in forever."

"She's in bed. Weren't you two hanging out with her last night?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"No. John and I stayed in last night," she replied, confused. "Did she say I was with her or something?"

"Oh. No. She left for a little bit last night. She couldn't sleep. I just assumed she was with you," John covered up for his girlfriend.

"Oh. She probably just went out for a walk or something," Melina said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah," he agreed, as he finished preparing their coffee. "Alright, I'm gonna bring this up to the lady," he said.

"Alright. I'll see you later," Melina said with a smile.

"Bye."

John made his way back to the elevators and used his elbow to push the 'up' button. While he waited, he contemplated what had just happened with Melina. Emma said she was with her friend, but obviously that wasn't true. That couldn't be a good thing. She never lied to him.

The elevator doors opened, and John came face to face with none other than Stu Bennett. Immediately, he felt a knot form in his stomach, as a bad feeling took him over. He began silently praying that Emma hadn't been with Stu, while she was gone the night before. The two had been together for a while before John started dating her. He knew that she still had a soft spot for him.

John waited for Stu and Heath Miller to exit the elevator, which they did. He made his way inside and push the button for the ninth floor. The doors shut, and John was haunted with thoughts of Emma and Stu. When he got to their floor, he walked to the room and knocked on the door. Within seconds, his girlfriend opened the door.

"Hey beautiful," he greeted, opting to not confront her about what he had recently discovered.

"Hey John," she said. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

Emma was already showered and had gotten dressed in a pair of jeans and a fitted t-shirt. Her hair was still wet and thrown back into a messy bun. He handed the cup of coffee to her. "Thanks," she said, giving him a smile. The couple sat on the couch, and Emma threw her legs over his lap. He rested his free hand on her legs.

"So, what's the plan for today? Do you want to come to the gym with me, babe?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, giving him a smile.

"Alright. We'll go at nine, okay?"

"Sounds good." John put his coffee down on the end table next to the couch. He took Emma's coffee and put it down next to his. John pulled her onto his lap, so she was straddling him.

"You know I love you, right, Em?"

A smile crossed her lips, as she nodded. "And I love you," she replied, pressing her forehead against his.

"Good." John leaned in and kissed her. Emma wrapped her arms around him. John's hands were on her hips. "I have an idea," he spoke, his lips still attached to hers.

"Oh?"

"I think we should have a little workout of our own, before we go down to the gym," he suggested, a smirk forming on his face.

"Okay," she enthusiastically agreed. John stood up and held onto her, bringing her over to the bed.

That's when John decided her wasn't going to say anything about what he had discussed with Melina. He loved Emma very much, and if it came down to it, he didn't want her to leave him. He wanted to be with her. If there were any problems, he would deal with them on his own, in his way. He wasn't going to risk losing the woman that he was in love with, especially not to another man.

* * *

**A/N: Ohhhh the drama that is ensuing. Fun times. Hope you guys are enjoying this. It's gonna be a bumpy ride, I can promise you all that. Please, let me know how you're feeling about this one, as I'd love to know. I won't be updating for the next few days, seeing as I'm going to Tampa, with my darling Carissa, which is going to be awesome! Hopefully we won't get in too much trouble, and if we do, hopefully we get bailed out. Please make sure you vote in the poll for the short stories collection #2! I'd love for you guys to pick one of the next stories that I'll be writing! Love you all! XoXoXoXoXo**


	3. Chapter 3

**9 Crimes**

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I only own Emma.**

* * *

Emma and John were in the catering area, backstage at one of their shows, sitting at one of the tables set up in the room. She had a bottle of water in one hand, while her plate of food remained in front of her, untouched as of yet. The air between the usually loving couple was somewhat uncomfortable. John knew something was up with her, but she was trying to make it clear to him that there was nothing wrong. Though he knew that wasn't really the case. She would barely even make eye contact with him.

"When I'm off next week, are you coming home with me?" he asked her, trying to break the silent tension.

Emma furrowed her brow. "No. I still have to work," she replied. "I thought you knew that."

"I didn't realize that."

"Oh…"

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing that she wasn't her usual, bubbly, happy self. She was much more quiet.

"Me? Yeah. I'm fine," she said, putting her water down and picking up her fork and stabbing her salad, bringing the food to her mouth and eating it, her eyes still refusing to lock with his.

"Do you want me to stay here while I'm off?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "No. It's alright, babe. You can go home and relax for the week. Besides I can hang around here with everyone and still work on my training anyway," she answered.

John wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer towards him, pressing an affectionate kiss to her temple. "Alright, baby," he said, with an emotionless expression on his face.

She put her fork down and turned to face him, giving him a mostly forced smile. She brought her hand onto his face and pulled him in for a quick kiss on his lips. A smile popped onto his lips from her affectionate gesture. "On the bright side, when you come back, we can spend time together again."

John nodded. "Absolutely. I love you, Em."

"I love you, too, John," she reciprocated. He pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Maybe we can talk to Vince about getting some time off together soon or something," he suggested.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Maybe we can go on vacation for a couple of days." Her lips quickly kissed his neck.

His arms tightened around her. "I'm gonna miss you," he said softly, his lips nearly grazing her ear.

"I know, baby, but it'll be over before you know it."

He nodded. "I know," he agreed. "You're not gonna find a new boyfriend while I'm gone, right?"

"Of course not," she assured him, though he wasn't exactly convinced, seeing as she'd already lied to him about being with Melina the other night.

"Good," John said, giving her a smile.

* * *

Stu and Emma's sweaty, sticky bodies clung to each other tightly, as their orgasms subsided. After a couple of moments passed, she unwrapped her legs from around his waist and began putting her clothes back on. Stu watched her for a few moments before he began putting his clothes back on. When they were both fully dressed, she began touching up her make up in the mirror. Stu stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her smaller body and kissed the top of her head.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life," he said softly.

Emma turned in his arms and leaned down kissing her on top of the head. "You're so cute," she said, smiling up at him, as her arms circled his body. He leaned down and pressed another kiss to her lips.

"I love you so much," he said, his voice low.

"I love you, too, baby," she reciprocated.

"I'll go out first, and you just need to wait a few minutes before coming out. Alright, sweetheart?"

Emma nodded. "Sounds good to me," she replied.

"You know I just don't want to leave without you."

"I know. It's just hard right now," she told him.

Stu nodded. "I understand that. I just want us to be able to be with each other again…like we used to be."

"I do, too. It'll happen. I just need some time to fix things."

"Please, just don't play around with me again, Emma," he begged her. "I love you so much, and I don't want to get hurt by you. It happened once, and that was so hard for me to deal with. I couldn't deal with it again."

"I know, Stu. And I do love you, and I do want to be with you more than anything," she told him. "I just have to ease out of things with John before we can be with each other."

He nodded. "I know," he said. "I just wish none of this ever happened with you and John."

"I'm sorry. It was…we were…having problems…Stu, we can't do this right now. John is going home to Tampa next week, you know," she changed the subject.

"Oh? I guess we'll have time to figure some things out then," he replied.

"Definitely," Emma confirmed. She gave him another kiss on his lips. "Now, go make your escape."

He shot a grin in her direction, before turning around and leaving the room. Once he was phone, Emma sat down on the couch, as she knew she would be waiting for a few minutes before she also left the room, so as not to arouse anyone's suspicions.

It was a really tough spot that Emma found herself to be in. What she was doing was wrong. She was hurting both John and Stu in the long run. Neither man deserved to be hurt. They were two incredibly good guys. They always treated her very well, and she cared about the both of them. Her feelings for Stu were just a lot different than her feelings for anyone else, including John.

After a couple of minutes, Emma got up and left the room, happy that the hallway was empty when she stepped into it. She began walking towards her locker room. As she rounded the corner, she smacked into someone and stumbled back. She was caught before she fell onto the concrete ground. Her eyes traveled up the all-too familiar body of Stu Bennett. Coincidentally, this all happened, as John was walking over. Stu quickly let go of his ex-girlfriend.

"Sorry," he said. "I…uh…I didn't realize that you were there…um…I'm really sorry." He was tripping over his words, as John's eyes watched the two. "I'm sorry," he repeated his apology.

"Oh. It's okay. Don't even worry about it," Emma said, her voice soft and sweet.

Stu gave her a quick nod and walked away, leaving Emma and John together, while his heart was pounding in his chest. "That was pretty intense huh?" he commented, though he couldn't deny that the look in his girlfriend's eyes when her vision was focused on Stu was an affectionate one, to say the least. And that hurt him pretty badly. The last thing that he ever wanted to consider was that his girlfriend, that he was completely head over in heels in love with, was still very much in love with her ex-boyfriend.

She nodded slowly, though her eyes were showing that she was guilty of still being in love with Stu. And to be honest, he didn't blame her for that. After the amount of time that the two were together, he didn't think she would just stop loving him like that. He wasn't completely naïve. "Yeah…"

John pulled Emma into his arms. "I'm gonna jump in the shower before I have to get my ass into hair and makeup," she said softly. Emma pulled herself out of his arms and walked down the hallway away from him. John had a bad feeling in his gut. He was starting to get the feeling that something was going wrong with his relationship.

John wanted to talk to her. He wanted to figure out exactly what he could do to fix this relationship, before things got way too out of hand for them to be fixed. He wasn't sure if there was something wrong with Emma, but he prayed that there wasn't. John truly loved her, and he wanted nothing more than to be with her for as long as he possibly could. But it seemed to him that there was something going on; something she was hiding from him. And that bothered him more than anything.

The one thing, though, that he kept telling himself was that he couldn't say anything about it to her. That was just opening the door for more problems to make their way into the relationship. The last thing he wanted to do was give her the opportunity to leave him for Stu. But that was the nagging suspicion haunting him.

* * *

"Emma, is something wrong?" Maryse asked, as the brunette valet silently sat on the couch, having just finished sitting in hair and makeup.

"Me? No. I'm fine," she replied, though her voice told her blonde friend that she wasn't being completely honest. She sat next to her. Maryse and Emma were the only two in the room at the moment.

"Don't lie to me," she said. "What's going on with you?"

"It's nothing…"

"Em, come on. What's wrong?" Maryse insisted.

"I'm just…it's…it's just a whole thing."

"Like?"

"Well…I'm doing something bad. And I'm not trying to hurt anyone or cause any problems, but…I am," she explained.

"Uh oh. Let me guess, either John or Stu is involved."

The guilty look in Emma's eyes gave away the answer to that question. "Well…yeah…" she barely whispered.

"Which one? Or both?"

"Both…"

"Oh God," the blonde breathed. "Alright. So, are you regretting the whole cheating on Stu and leaving him for John thing?"

"Yeah…"

"Is that it? Or am I missing something else?" Emma's lack of a response was enough for Maryse. "Are you cheating on John?" she finally asked her friend the question she was pretty sure that she already knew the answer to.

Emma slowly nodded. "I am."

"Oh shit," Maryse muttered. "Have you spoken to Stu about the whole situation?"

"Yeah."

"And…?"

"I know it's really fucked up, but I want to be with Stu," Emma admitted. "I made a huge mistake when I left him because I love him so much."

"And you don't love John?"

"I love John for the person he is. He's such an incredible guy, but I'm not in love with him the way that I am with Stu," she explained.

"So, end things with John."

"I don't want to hurt him."

"You're cheating on him. If he finds out about that, trust me, he'll be really hurt anyway," Maryse pointed out.

"I know. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just…I can't stay in a relationship with someone if I'm in love with someone else."

"That I can understand, but…Emma, you can't just mess around with Stu is you're still dating John. You need to stop screwing around with him, and you need to spend some time thinking about all of this. You have to make sure that this is what you truly want before you do anything."

Emma frowned and nodded. "Maryse, I fucked up. I know that. What I'm doing is such a dick move, but…I know that I belong with Stu. I love being with him. I'm just afraid of two things. One, I'm afraid of hurting John because he's such an amazing guy. He doesn't deserve this. And two, I'm afraid that if I were to get back together with Stu, things might go back to being shitty like they were when we were together the last time. And if that happens, I can't be with him," she explained.

"Then, you have to tell John and Stu exactly how you feel."

"I know. I just…" Emma took a deep breath and slowly shook her head. "I fucked this up big time."

"You have to fix this."

"I guess I'll just…make sure this is what's right for me, before I go ahead and make any decisions."

"Please do. And if you need any help, just let me know. I'm here for you, I promise," Maryse said, leaning over and giving her friend a hug. "I love you, and even though you got yourself into a really screwed up mess, I'm still gonna be here for you, no matter what happens," she assured her with a smile.

"Thanks," Emma said, hugging her friend back. "I know this kind of thing makes me a bad person, and I feel terrible. I just…I…I dunno."

"You're not a bad person. You're just confused right now. You need to figure out what you want, and we can fix everything," she said. "I've got your back."

* * *

**A/N: Of course no one likes Emma. She keeps flip flopping between two men. But now we're starting to get into her head. Trust me, by the time things really start getting intense, I'm sure you won't know who you really feel for. Anyways, I hope you're enjoying so far :o) I appreciate the favorites, alerts, reviews and hits! You guys are amazing. And please don't forget to vote in my poll! Love you all! XoXoXoXoXoXo**


	4. Chapter 4

**9 Crimes**

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I only own Emma.**

* * *

"Hey John," Emma spoke, walking into her best friend's locker room, shutting the door behind herself.

"Hey pretty," he greeted. He raised an eyebrow at her, noticing that her eyes were looking downward, and she looked really bothered by something. "Emma? What's wrong with you?" he questioned.

She shrugged. "Nothing really," she replied.

"Oh? You don't look like nothing's wrong."

She sighed and sat on the couch. "I did something bad…really bad, and I know, but I can't….I can't help but, and I just…I don't know what to do."

John sat down next to her. "What'd you do?" he asked., readying himself for the possibilities of what could come out of her mouth.

She looked over at him, clearly distressed. "You really don't want to know. It's pretty bad."

"Oh come on. It's can't be that bad. It's not like…you're cheating on John or anything," he said with a laugh. Jamie gave him a guilty look. "Oh my God," he breathed. "You're cheating on John?"

Emma bit her bottom lip and slowly nodded, feeling worse about her actions, as she admitted them.

His eyes went wide. "Okay. Well, it's not like you're banging Stu again, right? Even you wouldn't do anything that stupid, so, we can fix this." Her stare remained on him. "Holy shit. Please don't tell me that you're sleeping with Stu. It doesn't get much worse than that."

"Gee thanks because I didn't know that already," she groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Please tell me I was wrong, and you're not really fucking him again," he spoke, in disbelief.

"It's not fucking per se. But…I missed him, and I went to his hotel room, and we were talking, and one thing led to another."

"It was just once?"

"Not exactly…"

"Em, you can't do this. You're putting yourself in a really bad situation. I warned you about this when you started banging Cena. And that was a whole fucked up mess on its own," he pointed out. "You're fucking with people's emotions. And that's wrong. You know better than that."

"I know. I obviously should've never left Stu for John. I get that whole thing. But…I dunno."

"What?"

"I don't want to hurt John," she said, her eyes remaining down on the floor. "But I want to be with Stu."

John rolled his eyes. "Are you fucking kidding me? I warned you about this bullshit," he growled. "I told you that you would regret this! I knew you were making a mistake. You don't think things through at all."

"Don't lecture me, John. You're my best friend, and I'm in crisis mode here. I need your support. You don't think that I feel like shit? I feel awful. I know that I'm wrong here, but I can't help how I feel!"

"And your feelings keep fucking changing, Emma! You're fickle. You never know what you want, and when you think you do, you change your fucking mind again!"

"Oh fuck you, John. You know I honestly thought that I could come to you with this because you're supposed to be my best fucking friend in the entire world, but clearly talking to you about my problems was just another of the many stupid things that I've done. You just want to be a prick to me because you're so high and mighty. I feel bad enough about this whole situation, without your bullshit being thrown on top of it, too!" she yelled.

John sighed and remained silent for a few moments. "I'm sorry, Em," he finally apologized. "I just…I don't know how you manage to get yourself into these kinds of messes. You're in a really bad position."

"It fucking sucks," she said, chewing on her lower lip. "And I know it's my fault…I just…I jumped the gun with John, you know?"

"I know. I told you that when you first started up with him."

She shrugged. "Like I'd listen."

"Good point. You need to be positive of your feelings before you do anything. Think about things, you know?"

"I know."

John slowly shook his head. "Only you could get yourself into a clusterfuck like this," he breathed. "Maybe you need to be single for a little while. Obviously your feelings are completely fucked up."

"But I wanna be with Stu," she pouted, stubbornly.

"For the moment, you do. But keep in mind, when you were with Stu, you just wanted to be with John. So, please, don't make any more hasty decisions right now," he warned her. "Because I can guarantee that this won't end well. Both John and Stu have been played by you, at this point, albeit unintentionally, but still. You have to understand that this really isn't fair to either of them."

"I know that," she agreed. "I made a mistake. I was just upset with things between me and Stu, and John was just my shoulder to cry on. And obviously one thing led to another. In retrospect, it was a really bad decision, but I honestly love Stu," she explained.

John slowly nodded. "Just be careful, please. The last thing that you need is more drama," he pointed out.

She nodded. "I know, John. I'm just very confused right now. You know? I love John, but in a very different way. It's alike a friend kind of love. But Stu…" Emma sighed. "Stu and I are in love…we belong together. We're soul mates, and I love him more than anyone else. We are right for each other. And there's no one in the entire universe who I would be better fit with...ever."

John shook his head slowly. "You should've thought about that before you started screwing John behind his back."

"And that is true. I'll give you credit for that," she agreed. "But I can't change the past. And I've realized my mistake," she said.

"Emma, you can't do this. You're setting yourself up for disaster. And I can't let this happen again."

"John, I need Stu."

"You need to spend some time alone to figure out what it is that you really want."

"I know what I want."

John rolled his eyes. "No. You need to stop."

Emma groaned. "I love Stu."

"Oh God, Em. I love you, but you can't keep fucking around like this. You can't do this to people," he insisted.

"Can you stop scolding me for two second and just be my friend, please?" she begged him. "Just try?"

John took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just wish that you weren't always immersed in some kind of drama."

"I know…"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, and it sucks that you're in this position again," he said, trying to be empathetic to his friend.

"Thank you."

"I know I'm being really hard on you about this, but it's because I love you. And I don't want to see you hurting, Em."

"You're my best friend, and I love you John John."

A small smile crept on his lips. "I got your back, Em. Regardless of what happens, I'm on your side."

"That means a lot to me," she said, gratefully.

"You mean a lot to me, darling."

"Aw. You're the best."

* * *

Emma and Stu were in the locker room bathroom, participating in yet another round of steamy sex. This was starting to become a common occurrence. They were getting less and less discrete, and it was only a matter of time before people began figuring it out or even caught the two of them.

Of course, they could only be so lucky for so long. When Emma and Stu had redressed and exited the bathroom, he had backed her against the wall. He pressed another kiss to her lips. Emma wrapped her arms around his torso. His hands were cupping her face. The two had the biggest, genuine smiles on their faces. When they were together, there was no denying their complete and utter happiness.

"Oh…" Heath Miller's awkward greeting filled the locker room. PJ Lloyd was behind his tag team partner. The two men froze in place, as Emma and Stu pulled apart. "Um…hey…" he uncomfortably greeted.

"Hey," Emma uneasily greeted, forcing a smile.

There was an uncomfortable silence filling the tense air between the four, as it became clear to PJ and Heath exactly what was going on.

"I didn't know you two were still…um…friends," Heath spoke, raising an eyebrow at the pair.

"We've made…amends," Stu spoke.

"Oh…"

"Alright. Well, it was…um…nice…talking to you, Stu. I guess…I'll uh…I'll see you around," Emma spoke, feigning a platonic relationship, even though the damage had already been done. She quickly made her way out of the locker room, wishing that she could just disappear, as she avoided locking eyes with either PJ or Heath.

When she was gone, PJ and Heath stared at Stu, practically burning holes into him with their eyes. "So…what was that all about?" PJ questioned.

Stu shrugged. "What was what about?" he questioned, playing dumb.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

He shrugged. "Not really."

"We saw the two of you. You weren't just talking. Stu…you know that Emma has a boyfriend, right?" Heath spoke up.

He rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter. We're just friends."

"Bullshit," the redhead quipped. "We saw you two making out." PJ nodded, supporting his friend's words.

"It's none of your business."

"Stu, this isn't a good idea. First of all, Emma hurt you really badly when she left you for John. And secondly, she's dating John now. And you have to work with them. This isn't going to end well."

Stu rolled his eyes. "I don't need either of you telling me what's going on. I know the situation, and I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions. I don't need anyone telling me if I'm right or wrong or however anyone feels. I don't care, so just save it," he shot.

"Whatever, man," Heath mumbled, shaking his head.

* * *

"Hey baby," John said, walking up behind Emma, as she was walking down the hallway, making her way to her locker room.

She practically jumped. "Oh my God!" she yelped, bringing her hand to her chest, as she didn't expect to see him. She had been on edge every time she was seconds away from being caught with Stu, though she wasn't near his locker room at this point.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he said, wrapping his arms around her. She turned in his arms to face him.

"It's alright. I just…I didn't expect to see you yet. I thought you were still working out," she replied.

"I cut the work out a bit short. I wanted to be able to spend a little extra time with you. I feel like we haven't seen enough of each other lately. I know you're busy, but I know you said you didn't have anything planned before the show."

Emma nodded. "I didn't…"

"And you do now?"

"Oh. No," she replied, unable to come up with anything quick enough to allow her avoiding spending any time with her boyfriend.

"So, maybe we can go to my locker room and hang out…or something?" he suggested, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Alright. Just give me a couple of minutes. I have to go to my locker room. I left my cell phone in there."

"Oh? Where were you?"

"Um…I was…um…just…hanging out. I got bored hanging around in my room, so I figured I'd try to find something to occupy me."

He nodded. "Well, I can occupy you now," he said with a grin.

"Sounds good," she said, forcing a smile, readying herself to spend some time with the boyfriend that she'd been neglecting for Stu.

Emma knew that she was in a really bad position. She had to do something soon. It wasn't fair to John to keep messing around with Stu behind his back. John had been nothing less than an incredible boyfriend to her since they had first gotten together. He treated her like a queen and deserved the truth. But Emma couldn't seem to make herself end things with him…or tell the truth.

Emma wanted to be with Stu. She knew that without a shadow of a doubt. But she didn't want to hurt John. And she really did care about him. It was just a really bad situation, and she was very much torn. After her talk with John Hennigan, she knew that he was right. She should be alone before she was going to end up hurting anyone or trying to be with anyone again. Emma created a real mess, and she had to fix it before John ended up finding out that she was sleeping around behind his back.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that it took me a while to update this one. Thanks for everyone who has been reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting. You guys are the bestest in the whole world :o) So, Emma's really in a bad spot. And now PJ and Heath know. That can't be good. I sense more drama... :o) Let me know what you think...if anyone's still even reading this! Love you all! XoXoXoXoXo**


	5. Chapter 5

**9 Crimes**

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I only own Emma.**

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is for Peeps8705. I know I promised an update over a month ago, and I'm sorry it's late :o(**

* * *

"Emma, what's wrong?" John asked his girlfriend, as they walked into his locker room.

"Huh?" She looked up at him, as she hadn't been paying attention.

"What's wrong? You've just been really distant towards me lately. What's going on with you, baby?" he questioned, trying to sound sensitive, though he was really just desperate for answers.

"I've just had a lot on my mind, John," she breathed, not really wanting to get into it with him right now.

"You can talk to me, you know. I am your boyfriend, and I love you so much. If there's something bothering you, you should be able to come to me," he told her. "I just want to help you."

Emma couldn't bring her eyes to meet his. Guilt completely consumed her, and she had never felt more wrong for her actions. Here was John-the most caring, genuine guy that she had ever known. And she was cheating on him. Everything hit her like a ton of bricks. Everything that John Hennigan had told her was playing in her head over and over again.

"John…" she spoke dryly, before an onslaught of emotion hit her and tears began pouring out of her eyes.

"Oh my God! Emma!" He immediately pulled her into his arms and gently rubbed her back. "Baby, please don't cry."

He scooped her up in his arms and pulled her onto his lap, sitting on the couch. She buried her face in his chest, unable to control her tears. She didn't even know how to go about explaining her current emotional state to John without coming clean about what she had been doing with Stu, behind his back. Emma really wasn't ready to explain that situation to him, either.

To be completely honest, she was afraid of his reaction. Emma was afraid of hurting him. She obviously hasn't been the most moral, selfless, conscience-focused person that she had wanted to be, but as the reality of her situation became clear to her, Emma completely understood what she had done. She was willingly and intentionally hurting the two most important men in her life.

John was completely confused. He couldn't understand what had set Emma off, but he felt so guilty for seemingly being the cause of her tears. He rubbed her back, desperately trying to calm her down.

"Emma, baby, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I did to make you cry, but I'm so sorry," he apologized.

She looked up at him. "Can you seriously stop being so fucking perfect all of the time? I don't deserve you," she spoke, the tears continuing to flow down her cheeks, her eyes reflecting her sadness.

John furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? I'm very far from being perfect, and I'm so lucky that I have you. Where is all of this coming from?" he asked, still not sure what was going on.

She shook her head slowly. "No. I'm just…I'm a bad person, John. You deserve a lot better than me," she said.

"Baby, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I can't…" Emma breathed. His grasp on her tightened a bit, not bothering to push the subject with her, while she was so obviously upset and still crying.

"Just relax, Em. Please when you cry, it just hurts me. I love you. I hate it when you're upset, sweetheart."

She sniffled and tried to calm down. Emma rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. He gently kissed her head. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to relax her body against his. Emma knew that she was going to have to come clean to John…and much sooner rather than later. Because now that she had been hit with a dose of reality, she was going to really begin stressing herself out with this.

"I love you so much, Em," John softly spoke, meaning the words, as they escaped his lips.

"I love you, John…"

"I feel like there's a 'but' in there," he replied, a lump forming in his throat.

She slowly shook her head. "No. I do love you, John," Emma insisted, meaning the words, just opting to not explain how she meant it.

A smile pulled at John's mouth. He pressed a gentle, affectionate kiss to her forehead. "So, please, don't cry," he pled with her, softly.

"I can't help it…"

"Why, sweetheart?" he asked her, still confused at to what had really set her off on her tirade of tears.

"I just can't," she whispered, burying her face in his chest, as he continued trying to calm his girlfriend down.

* * *

"What's with you?" John Hennigan asked Emma, as she barged into his locker room, while boyfriend John was reviewing his plans for that evening's episode of Monday Night Raw with Mike Mizanin.

"I can't do it anymore," she admitted, pacing around the room. He grabbed her by the arm, as his eyes searched her face.

"You've been crying," he observed. "What the hell happened?"

"I can't handle it. John is so perfect. And he doesn't deserve this," she told her friend, once again feeling overwhelmed by her emotions. "What am I supposed to do?" she rhetorically asked him.

"I don't know, Em. You have to do what's best for you," he replied. "Regardless of what I think you should do, you know that I support you."

"But I don't know what to do. John loves me. Like he really, really loves me, and I can't hurt him."

"But you can't just stay with him to not hurt him because you're gonna end up hurting him worse, and you're gonna be even more miserable than you are right now," he tried reasoning with her.

"But…I just…I don't know what to do," she breathed, her eyes watering. John pulled her in for a hug. She began crying into his chest.

"Don't cry, Em. Just figure out what you want to do, and do it," he said. "I want you to be happy. I don't want you to be upset and crying," he told her.

Emma's hands grasped his t-shirt, as she continued crying to her best friend. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"For what?"

"For being stupid about the whole thing," she said.

John kissed the top of her head. "No need to apologize to me. I'm here for you," he said. "Now, take a deep breath," he instructed her. Emma pulled back and followed his instructions. "Okay. Now, let it out." He used the pads of his thumbs to wipe the tears off of her cheeks, as she continued to obediently follow his orders. "No more crying. There's no use in crying." John gave her a reassuring smile. 'Now, you're okay, right?"

She slowly nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't get yourself crazy, Emma."

"I have to avoid John and Stu," she told him.

"No. That's definitely not a good idea. You have to face your problems head-on, sweetheart."

"Here's how I feel: I love John, but I only love him as a friend. My feelings are just platonic from him. I love Stu…" She sighed. "But I'm actually in love with him. I want to spend my life with him. He's the man that I want to be with," she explained. "But I feel like…I dunno…like I'm gonna end up being hated by everyone, ya know? Especially once everyone finds out what's been going on."

"Listen, sometimes in life, you have to make some decisions that not everyone is going to love, but if you can look at yourself in the mirror everyday and know that you've made the best possible decision for you, then, that's the most important thing for you to do," he explained, his voice soft.

"I love you. You're the best friend I could ever want…or need.," she said.

"That's what I'm here for. Obviously, I like John and Stu, but my loyalty lies with you first and foremost."

"I've been making a lot of mistakes," she said. "I don't want to hurt anyone. I just…I dunno."

"I know you don't mean to hurt anyone. You're just in a bad position," he tried to comfort her.

"But I don't know where to even begin fixing it. I don't know how I'm supposed to end it with John, when he's been such a great guy to me."

"It's only gonna hurt him more if you don't do it, Em. I know that it sucks, but it's the only want to start making things right. And you have to stop sleeping with Stu. No guys for a while," he told her.

Emma's teeth sunk into her bottom lip. "Um…"

John rolled his eyes. "What's the problem with that?" he asked, exasperated.

"I love Stu, though…and I also love having sex with him," she told him.

"Yeah…well, that really doesn't matter. Use a vibrator and some porn. Stay away from guys for the time being. Your vagina and emotions are complicating your life way too much for you to handle anymore," she spoke.

John slowly shook his head. "You're a rare breed, Em. But I love you because of it," he breathed, pulling her in for another hug.

* * *

Emma sat across from Stu, in his hotel room. She had gone there to break things off with him for the time being.

"Em, what's going on? You're never this quiet," the deep English accent broke through the tense silence.

"There's just a lot going on, Stu…" Emma couldn't help but feel like she was about to have an anxiety attack. She tried to hold her emotions back, knowing that she would end up a hysterical mess, if she didn't.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Emma, what are you getting at?" he asked her, noticing her body language, the emotion in her eyes.

"I have to break up with John…for obvious reasons, but…I dunno if we should keep on…doing what we're doing. Just for a little while," she told him, trying to ignore the lump that was in her throat.

"So, you're breaking up with me?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"We're not like…together…" she spoke, her voice low.

"Oh?" His eyes practically burned into her.

"I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that…I dunno, Stu. You have to understand that I'm in a really bad position right now, and-"

"Who in the bloody hell put you in that position, Emma?" he asked, his voice thick, as he was clearly getting mad.

"Wait. No. Don't get mad at me. Just listen, please," she begged him, as her eyes, once again, were brimming with tears. One tear finally slipped out of her eye and fell down her cheek. She quickly stood up and walked around the coffee table to Stu. She knelt down in front of him. "Please?"

"What does it even matter? You want it to be over? Then, fine. It's over. You get your way," he spoke, slowly shaking his head.

"Please, Stu, just listen to me. I love you. I only want you. You're the love of my life," she quickly spoke, the tears now streaming down her face. "It's just temporary. We just need to let things calm down a little bit."

He shook his head. "Are you out of your bloody mind? You're fucking around on me…again," he spoke, in disbelief.

"No, you don't understand, Stu. I want to be with you and only you. I love you so much, and I just want to clear my head, before we can officially get back together," she explained to him.

Stu slowly shook his head. "Emma…" he breathed, his head now in his hands.

"No. Don't say my name like that. I love you so much," she told him, bringing her hands onto his cheeks. He moved his hands away from his head. It hurt him to see her cry, but he was hurting, too.

"I can't deal with this on and off bullshit, Emma. It really hurts, and I can't put up with your…drama."

"We'll be fine, Stu. I just need some time to sort things out," she explained.

"What do you want from me, Emma?" he spoke, clearly fed up with her.

"I want you to just…wait for me," she practically begged.

"Because I haven't waited long enough?" he asked her, rhetorically.

"I know. I just have to do this for a little while, Stu. And think of it…we can just start all over again. Everything will be okay…better than okay. It will be perfect, I promise. Just please don't leave me. I swear to God, I love you so much."

"I don't know, Em," he replied, shaking his head. "You keep making things much more difficult…and I just can't do it anymore."

"Please don't say that," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his. "Please. I just love you so much. Please?"

"I can't make you any promises, Em. I'm sorry. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," he said, his voice low and thick.

Emma shut her eyes, as the tears continued pouring out of them. "Okay," she finally relented, her heart breaking. She finally stood up and turned away from him, exiting the room. She pressed her back against the door and allowed a sob to escape, as she continued crying uncontrollably.

"Emma?" a voice asked. Panic coursed through her veins, as he boyfriend walked over to her, while she cried outside of her ex-boyfriend's hotel room.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this in forever. But I finally did. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Emma's starting to suffer the onsequences of her actions. Uh oh. Please review, and let me know what you guys think! Love you all! XoXoXoXoXoXo**


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